Bird shelter



March 21, 1939. G, COPEMAN 2,151,010

BIRD SHELTER Filed July 1, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTQR. 120 62 6 Copema'fl ATTORNEYS March 21, 1939. 1.. G. COPEMAN BIRD SHELTER Filed July 1, 19:57

2 Sheets-Sheet F 7 INVENTOR. ,Ifiogd copeman R. 2 552 1 a! ii: I.

Patented Mar. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 10 Claims.

This invention relates to bird shelters to be made of sheeting material, and more particularly to a shelter which can be shipped and sold in collapsed form and assembled by the purchaser.

5 An object of the invention is to provide a waterproof cardboard bird shelter which looks together in a reinforced structure and which is inexpensive enough that it may be replaced each year. The shelter may be used as a feed station in summer and winter and is especially designed as a robin shelter for summer use since robins rarely nest in a closed bird house. The word shelter as used in the specification and claims shall be taken to mean either a feeding shelter or nest shelter for birds.

A further object of the invention is to provide an adequate, reinforced bird shelter which has a minimum of knockdown parts and which is formed of parts so designed that the assembled 0 shelter is highly decorative.

In accordance with the present invention a shelter is formed from blanked sheet material which can be manufactured in flat form and easily put together to form an inexpensive, deco- 3 rative shelter.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, one modification of the invention is illustrated:

, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the assembled house or shelter.

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a transverse cross-section showing the reinforcing tabs fastened to the back.

Fig. 4 is a partial cross-section of the bottomroof member illustrating the scored joint between the two members.

Fig. 5 illustrates the manner in which the reinforcing tabs engage struck out portions of the bottom member.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the back of the shelter which is to be fastened to a support.

Fig. 7 shows a plan view of the bottom and roof members before being folded into assembly position.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 6, the back I0 of the bird shelter is formed by a single sheet of comparatively stiff material which is preferably a waterproof cardboard. The shape of the back member Ill is substantially oval. The back member is intended to be used as the support for the shelter and will be nailed to the house, garage, or other support to be used. A reinforcement member I I is fastened to the back member at the lower center portion thereof by staples or rivets or other suitable means and is provided with wings I2 which are adapted to swing outwardly from the back member ID to form reinforcing supports for the bottom of the shelter.

The roof and the bottom of the shelter are shown in unassembled position in Fig. '7. A roof member I3, which also protects the sides of the. shelter is formed with one side and one end straight in contour. The outer side of the roof I3 is curved outwardly from the straight end and around to form a point with the straight side. The straight side of the roof I3 has tabs I4 extending therefrom at spaced intervals to coincide with slots I5 cut in the back member I0. The straight end of the roof member I3 is pressed or scored at I6 to form a foldable joint for a hinge portion I! which is adapted to be fastened to the bottom of the shelter. The roof member is preferably formed of cardboard which has some degree of flexibility.

The bottom of the shelter is formed of a flat piece I8 having two adjacent sides straight and at right angles to each other. One. side is adapted to fit and be fastened to the hinge portion I I and the other side is to be folded, at the dotted line, to form a side piece I9, said folded portion to be pinned or riveted to the back I0 along the upper edge of the member II. The bottom I8 is struck out at two places to form downwardly projecting tabs 20. (See Fig. 5.)

In assembling the bird shelter from the flat pieces, the folded portion I9 is first pinned to the back It] as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The tabs I4 may then be inserted in their respective slots I5 in the back ID as the roof member I3 is bent around the upper edges of the back portion. The tabs I4 are then bent flush with the back and pinned in place (Fig. 3). It will be noticed that the scored portion I6 of the roof member (see Fig. 4) allows free bending of the hinge I7 and also forms a reinforcing crimp in the assembled roof member. As a last step in the assembly, the wings I2 of the piece II are swung outwardly from the back to slip over and be locked in place by the struck-out portions 20 of the bottom I8. The struck-out portions 20 hold the wings I2 in extended position at an angle. with the back I0 whereby a comparatively rigid support is formed for the bottom member I2. It is desirable that the roof member I3 be formed relatively narrow at each end and wide in the center. This design will bring the widest part of the roof member at the top of the shelter and thus afford more protection to a nest or to food which has been placed in the shelter. The shelter also presents a more pleasing appearance when the roof is formed in this manner.

What I claim is:

1. A bird shelter formed of flat pieces of sheet material, comprising, in assembly, a back member, a bottom member, a roof member directly fastened at one end to one side of said bottom member, and means attaching the back edges of said bottom and roof members to the said back member whereby the bottom member lies substantially flat and the roof member lies over the bottom member.

2. A bird shelter formed of pieces of waterproof sheet material, comprising, in assembly, a back member, a bottom member, a roof member fastened at one end to one side of said bottom member, means attaching the back edges of said bottom and roof members to the back member whereby the bottom member lies substantially flat and horizontal while the roof member lies along and adjacent the sides and top of the back memher, and means on said back member for reinforcing said bottom member.

3. A bird shelter formed of flat pieces of waterproof sheet material comprising, in assembly, a flat comparatively stiff back member, a flat bottom member having its back edge turned up and pinned to the back member, and an elongated relatively flexible roof member fastened at one end to one side of said bottom member and at one edge to the outer side and top boundaries of the back member.

4. A bird shelter formed of flat pieces of waterproof cardboard, comprising, in assembly, a flat gback member, provided with slots around the sides and top, a flat bottom member, and an elongated relatively flexible roof member fastened at one end to one side of said bottom, and spaced tabs at one side edge passing through said slots in said back member and folded and pinned to said back member. Q

5. A bird shelter formed of flat pieces of waterproof cardboard, comprising, in assembly, a flat comparatively stiff back member, provided with slots around the sides and top, a flat bottom member, a relatively flexible roof member fastened at one end to one side of said bottom, and spaced tabs at one side edge passing through said slots in said back member and folded and pinned to said back member, and a reinforcing member fastened to the bottom portion of said back member and adapted to contact said bottom to furnish support therefor.

6. A bird shelter formed of flat pieces of waterproof cardboard comprising, in assembly, a flat comparatively stiff back member, a flat bottom member having struck-out portions extending downward therefrom, a relatively flexible roof member fastened at one end to one side of said bottom member and at one edge to the outer side and top boundaries of the back member, and a reinforcing member fastened to the lower portion of the back member comprising hinged wings adapted to swing outward from said back member to furnish support for said bottom and locked in place by said struck-out portions in said bottom.

'7. A bird shelter formed of flat pieces of waterproof cardboard, comprising, in assembly, a back member, a substantially flat bottom member, and

a relatively flexible roof member having one end fastened to said bottom and having one edge fastened to said back member, said roof member being relatively narrow at each end and relatively wide at is midportion wherebyit overhangs said bottom portion. 7

8. A bird shelter formed of flat pieces of waterproof sheet material, comprising, in assembly, a flat back member, a fiat bottom member, and a relatively flexible roof member portion at one end thereof connected to one side of said bottom member, and having one edge fastened to said back member, said roof member being shaped to overhang said bottom member when said bird shelter is assembled.

9. An open face bird shelter for robins and the like comprising a back membenan open shelf thereon, and a roof member forming a part of said shelter and adapted to be shipped in the flat and secured into position after'assem bly whereby it extends over said shelf and substantially at right angles to said back member.

10. An open face bird shelter for robins and the like comprising a back member, an open shelf thereon, and a roof member forming a part of said shelter having one end secured to said shelf and another portion secured to said back member whereby it extends over said shelf and substantially at right angles to said back member.

LLOYD G. COPEMAN.

having a hinged 

